Caught in the maelstrom of executive order mandates, your favorite bartender may have been re-purposed into a delivery driver. Your favorite server has stepped up in many cases to become the one to deliver your take-out order directly to your car window for curbside pick up.
These are tense times for Michigan’s Great Southwest bar and restaurant owners and their myriad staff members who suddenly find themselves in a sort of limbo while the coronavirus environment forces them to the sidelines.
Fortunately for avid patrons, hundreds of local bars and restaurants are re-inventing themselves to adapt to the “new normal” during this critical time. Encouraged by many customers to keep options open, food service workers are doing everything in their power to keep you satisfied while also working diligently to keep their jobs and their livelihoods.
The re-invention has seen a grand array of adaptations with restaurant owners and employees doing everything in their power to keep the pipeline open and the business flowing.
Social media posts have soared with offerings from seemingly everyone willing to bend the curve and find new ways to get you your favorite menu items from delivery to take-out, from curbside pick-up options to…whatever it takes.
By way of example, Bobby & Stacy at The Mark III at the Scottdale Crossroads says, “If you’re craving the Mark, we’ve got you covered. You can place your order with Door Dash and request ‘no-contact’ delivery, or call your order ahead, let us know when you arrive, we will happily bring your order to your car!”
Santaniello’s Restaurant in Stevensville says, “Yes we are open for To Go orders and are now offering delivery! We can even offer bottles of wine and six packs of beer. We are taking precautions above and beyond what is required to make sure that all of you are safe!”
Soulard’s Cafe in Coloma says, “Soulards’ still open! Please make note of our hours and phone number. Call ahead ordering available. Carryout and curbside orders only, no dine in! Delivery available: city of Coloma free, 7-mile radius for $3 charge. Please continue to support your local, small businesses that are fighting through this rough time.”
Timothy’s of Union Pier tells us, “In accordance with the state mandate we are closing our dine in service for the time being, however Timothy’s is committed to doing everything possible to serve our community during this troubling time. We will be readying a satellite kitchen on the south side of Timothy’s Restaurant beside the Wine Seller for drive up To Go orders and we are pairing with the Wine Sellers for a quick and safe, one-stop shop. The drive thru kitchen will be serving Wednesday through Sunday from 4pm until 8pm. We will continue our popular Wednesday Rib Night special: Full Rack of Ribs with fries and house slaw for $9.99, we have also released a brand new Timothy’s To Go menu with the options available from our satellite kitchen.”
Schu’s Grill & Bar in downtown St. Joe says, “We at Schu’s Grill & Bar are thankful for our community and will be offering free delivery. We will prepare and deliver your meal.”
Hoopla Frozen Yogurt of St. Joe says, “Hoopla will now be offering Carry Out on a daily basis 12-9 pm each day. In order to receive Carry Out Orders, our customers will have two options. Option 1 is calling Hoopla with your pre-order at 269-281-7969. Pay over the phone. Stop by for pickup at the time of your choice. Option 2 is stopping by Hoopla, pay at counter, and our staff will safely prepare your order, and you can take your order TO GO. Although we can no longer offer a Dine-In option, we want our wonderful Hoopla customers to have the opportunity to purchase our products! In this unsettling time, we all need a treat once in awhile! The current situation of our world puts local, small businesses at risk, and we want to sincerely thank all of customers for showing us such amazing support. We have felt your love over the last three years, and we are looking forward to seeing you for many, many more!”
Coach’s Bar & Grill says, “Now offering delivery! We do the running, so you don’t have to. We are now offering delivery service to most of the Stevensville and St. Joseph area, with no delivery fee, for both call-in and online orders. $25-minimum purchase. Deliveries will need to be paid for via credit card prior to delivery as our drivers will not be carrying any cash. In order to maintain the quality of Coach’s food that you have come to know and love, we must stay within our delivery parameter — simply enter your address on our online ordering platform or call us at the restaurant to find out if you are within our delivery zone. If you are outside of our delivery zone, no problem, we will now be offering our Sideline Pick-Up Service All Day. Simply choose Sideline Pick-Up when you order online, or let us know over the phone.”
Full Circle Cafe & Espresso Bar in Stevensville says, “And with that, we temporarily switch to takeout and delivery only – until further notice. We truly appreciate the support of our loyal guests, and intend to do all we can – to the point of driving you all crazy on social media with pictures of delicious food and drinks – in order to keep our Full Circle family working, and able to function as normally as possible. Don’t forget to ask for curbside pick up so we can process your touch-free payment, and deliver your order to your vehicle if you prefer.”
The Mason Jar Cafe in Benton Harbor says, “As of today, with word from Governor Whitmer, we are required to close our doors to dine-in customers. However, we will still be open to carry out orders. If you prefer to do curbside, that’s not a problem, we can even swipe your credit card at your car. We will also be offering delivery to local businesses. Don’t forget, we also have coffee and espresso drinks! We appreciate all of our amazing customers and staff.”
And…the list goes on and on. In fact…Arthur Havlicek, President of the Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber of Commerce has undertaken the Herculean task of assembling all of them in one spot for everyone to check out in a new Facebook Group we told you about called Buy Local Berrien. Last night his list looked like this (but others are being added minute by minute):
Restaurants/Bars Offering Take Out or Delivery:
- Full Circle Café & Espresso Bar – Stevensville.
- The Livery – Benton Harbor.
- Coach’s Bar & Grill – Stevensville.
- Schu’s Grill & Bar- St. Joseph.
- Hoopla Frozen Yogurt – St. Joe, MI – St. Joseph.
- Mr Gyros – Stevensville.
- Small Town Grounds – Bridgman.
- The Mason Jar Cafe – Benton Harbor.
- Silver Beach Pizza – St. Joseph.
- NolaRoux – St. Joseph.
- The Mark III Restaurant – St. Joseph.
- Thornton’s Home Town Cafe – St. Joseph.
- 221 Main – Restaurant & Cocktail House – St. Joseph.
- Arriba Taqueria – St. Joseph.
- Soulard’s – Coloma.
- Santaniello’s Restaurant – Stevensville.
- La Perla – Benton Harbor
- D’Agostino’s Navajo Bar and Grille – Bridgman
- Bistro on the Boulevard – St. Joseph.
- Zoup! – St. Joseph.
- Eddie’s Drive-In West – Coloma.
- Hub Central – Coloma
- DiMaggio’s Pizza & Burgers – Coloma
- Las Mangonadas – Coloma
- The Sidetrack Cafe II – Watervliet
- TJ’s Sports Bar & Grill – Watervliet
- North Shore Inn – Benton Harbor
- Cafe Tosi St Joseph
- Plank’s Tavern on the Water – Benton Harbor
- Crimson Cafe – St. Joseph.
- Jimmy John’s – St. Joseph.
- Jimmy John’s – Benton Harbor
- Sandbar & Grille – St. Joseph.
- Lydia’s down home cooking – Bridgman
- Cracker Barrel Old Country Store – Stevensville.
- Cafe by Country Kitchen – Benton Harbor.
- The Hot Spot Cafe – Coloma
- The Blackbird Waterhouse – Coloma
- Biggby Coffee of St. Joseph – St. Joseph.
- Brew Ha Ha – Niles
- AJ’s Uptown Bar & Grill – Berrien Springs
- Silver Harbor Brewing Company – St. Joseph.
- Nutrition Now – St. Joseph, MI – St. Joseph.
- Baroda Tap & Grille – Baroda
- Woodies Tavern – Stevensville
- St. Joe Buffalo Wild Wings – St. Joseph.
- Old Tavern Inn – Niles
- Healthy Harbor – Benton Harbor, MI – Benton Harbor
- Healthy Springs – Berrien Springs
Keep tabs on the entire list at any time at this link:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Buylocalberrien/
In less than 24 hours, that Facebook Group has acquired nearly 1,400 members and counting, and Havlicek reminds everyone, “This page is for every business in our region. You do not have to be a member of the Chamber to take advantage of this opportunity to share your offerings.”
The community of Michigan’s Great Southwest is doing a remarkable job of keeping these businesses in mind, but everybody needs to continue to step up in the days ahead as well in order to assure that these folks will be around when this is all over.
On a side note…I know that there are many who have argued for years that tipping someone who “simply” delivers your pick-up or curbside order to you is not necessary. Nothing could be further from the truth. I’ve personally seen many people work to assemble such orders, get them ready for me and cash me out. While it may not be as labor intensive as the work of a regular server, they are certainly worthy of your gratuity, which you (hopefully) would have paid had you dined-in. Keep in mind, the person bringing your order to you at your car window may be out of a job completely if the business had to close completely during this tough time. Please tip generously. Be kind in this mixed up world.
